Smartphones appealing to more women

NEW YORK, June 10 (UPI) -- Sleeker, cheaper smartphones have found an eager customer base among U.S. women, industry researchers said.

In 2007, sales of smartphones to women more than doubled, reaching 10.4 million, Nielsen Mobile, an industry tracking group said.

Sales of Apple's iPhone have matched that trend. The New York Times reported sales of iPhones to women have risen from 25 percent of the market in October to 33 percent in March.

"You are not seen as a geek anymore if you have a smartphone," Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner Group, told the Times. "Women, including wives and mothers, need to keep track of their busy lives, too."

Smartphones start as low as $99 and industry research shows that women are more likely than men to choose the family's wireless products. They are also more budget conscious and concerned about design.

But Smartphone makers playing to more feminine concerns could miss the point, Milanesi said.

"Companies need to be careful to not think that to sell smartphones they just need to be pink," she told the Times. "There are other things women want."